Languages (The Legends of History)
A guide to the various languages, both past and present, in the continent of Tamriel. Common Tamrielic Common Tamrielic, otherwise known as Imperial, Cyrodiilic 'or '''Common Tongue '''is the most common spoken language in Tamriel, being the language used by the Empire while it had almost complete power over the continent. This language is the same as English and is the language all spoken language will be, unless otherwise specified. Nordic '''Nordic '''is a dying language, spoken mainly by the farmers and simple mercenaries. Most nobles or merchants will prefer to speak the Common Tongue, merchants only speaking Nordic when buying or selling from peasants and many nobles now having very little grasp of the language. The nobles and other rich of Skyrim will most likely be spoken during ceremonial occasions or by those who have a strong distaste for the Empire or a strong love of Skyrim's culture. Some nobles will attempt to teach their children Nordic, but often their fluency severely decreases with age as their use of the language in normal life is rare. Many Imperial words share similarities with Nordic words. This language is mostly the same as Dutch, with some differences to account for culture. Common Words or Phrases ''keizerlijk ''- a word with two meanings that has become a racial slur. It means both Dictator-like and Imperial. Often the use of it means that a fight is going to break out soon. ''whelp ''- young or inexperienced and normally also meaning bad at fighting. It has become common in High Rock and Cyrodiil as well. Redguard '''Redguard '''or '''Hammerfollian '''is, like Nordic, a dying language. It, however, is far close to its death than Nordic, since the language, being further from Imperial and with an entirely different alphabet, was almost impossible to learn for the Imperials coming in. The Imperials being the greater power, the native speakers were forced to learn Cyrodiilic, rather than the other way round. It is now most commonly spoken by the tribes in Hammerfell, all with slight variants. This language is based on Arabic. Breton '''Breton '''or '''Bretonic '''is a language associated with fine food and good wine and is the third most commonly spoken Tamrielic language, behind Common Tamrielic and Aldmeri. Elven Aldmeri The official language of the Aldmeri Dominion, Aldmeri is similar to Bosmei in many ways. It is widely spoken and understood in both Elsweyr and Valenwood, as failure to explain yourself in the Aldmeri Dominion often means death. Aldmeri is based on Bosque, with some differences. Common Words or Phrases ''lo ''- meaning 'stop' or 'stay'. Often heard as an order. Bosmei '''Bosmei '''is very similar to Aldmeri. Dunmeri Khajiiti Khajiit refer to themselves in the third-person in their own language, which is why they often make the mistake of calling themselves, "This one," or using their name when speaking. This language is similar to Albanian, with most words being translations. Common Words or Phrases ''shpirt i keq ''- A term meaning "Evil Spirit," or "Gremlin," but used meaning nuisance, usually in an endearing way. ''kukudh ''- Originally just one of the words meaning Elf, ''kukudh ''now is most commonly heard as an insulting term for the Thalmor. ''pështyj shkallë ''- a racial slur used to describe Argonians. Approximately means ''"Spit-Scale," in Khajiiti. Argonian Orcish Orcish is a rough, guttural language developed from the mewling cries of the first Orsimer after their transformation from Aldmer. While it is simplistic in nature, it is very complicated to non-natural speakers. It is always very vague, with multiple words having multiple meanings, with the intended statement implied from the positioning of the sentence. To this extent, it is interactive, involving lots of hand gestures and motions in order to get a point across. It is spoken by Yaden the Dragonslayer. There is no word for "the" in Orcish. It is also a language that lacks pronouns such as, for example; he, she, it, they, or you. Common words and phrases Ornim- Orcish word for Orsimer ne- A negative, meaning anything from "no" to "will not" ag- at eb- and Krazak- summit, a place above shara- man, not-Orc lochan- allow murimush- looters, robbers, thieves sim- remains, body, corpse Goltragga- Chief, as in a tribal chief or leader ubeshka- a valuable possession beshkar- an amulet of value (More to be added) Counting The Orcish numerical system is as follows: * Uhz (One) * Uhg (Two) * Aht (Three) And further numbers are derived from this base of three. *Uhzuhz (4) *Uhguhz (5) *Ahtuhz (6) *Uhzuhg (7) This patter ends at thirteen, which starts with: *Uhzuhzuhz (13) *Uhguhzuhz (14) And so on and so forth. Extinct Languages Old Cyrodiilic '''Old Cyrodiilic, otherwise known as Old Imperial, is often considered the 'Forefather of Language' due to it's evolution into Nordic, Breton and Common Tamrielic. It is - or was - the same as Latin. Falmeri '''Falmeri '''is rare because it shares very little with other languages. This is because the Falmer had little interaction except war with other races, and even in those wars, few survivors were left. It is closest to Dunmeri out of the living languages. Dwemer The '''Dwemer Language '''is unique for two reasons. First, the speed and suddenness of its disappearance; instead of slowly dying with the extinction of the people or fading into obscurity, the Dwemer language disappeared as suddenly as its people. Second, because it is the only language to have been constructed; the Dwemer, dissatisfied with normal, chaotic, language, decided to create their own. Category:The Legends of History Category:Languages